Wednesday, May 6, 2020
All about Interest Groups, Political Parties, and Nominations and Campaigns Free Essays
The American system of election is very expensive, time consuming and tedious to the aspiring presidential candidates. The length of the process determines the prosperity of a candidate from any political party. Although this time range favors some candidates its complexity and cost disqualifies other candidates. We will write a custom essay sample on All about Interest Groups, Political Parties, and Nominations and Campaigns or any similar topic only for you Order Now Since not all top party leaders are interested in the presidency, the aspiring candidates have to meticulously orchestrate their announcement of candidature to capture the public while at the same time win the approval and loyalty of their leaders. This occurs during the caucuses and primaries in which starts the road to the White House as argued by (Lader, 2006). This system has flaws for states like Iowa that still relies on caucuses. The suitable candidate can easily be locked out of the race early if they lack popularity with the party heads. The numerous questions and hole punching that is involved in these levels can easily elevate or disqualify a candidate depending on their eloquence, smartness or simply their political correctness at that particular time. The highly televised primaries on the other hand have rather seen luminaries in larger states like New York and California succeed. Celebrity entertainers have recently been used to rally support for candidates during such primaries. Such trends show modern day success stories for democracy. The future of election currently relies on modern day technology and chat rooms that are famous especially with the youthful population. Showbiz and technology such as Facebook and Twitter are the next level of campaign strategies since they have the most audience of the voting population. Campaign themes also have credited to the success or failure of modern day candidates. 2. Political Parties. The growth of democracy in the U.S is credited to the evolution of political parties and their strong affiliations to the public. The political parties have fashioned themselves around the figure of the president for administrative and political influences. Although this is fashioned to enable uniqueness of voice and solidarity in opinions, it has alienated the public from decision making compared to their British counterparts. This brings about personal political ambitions to the parties, where presidents only push their aspirations while sidelining the shared collective responsibility for the entire nation and the political parties. The problem is that the public has no say in decision making since the president does not have to consult the Congress in decision making. The failed link between the people and their presidents thus causes dissatisfaction and polarization. 3. The Interest Groups. In light of the common good of the American society, the power of the interest groups can only be sustained to its least degree possible. If not, their extremism of expression tends to only favor the thought of certain groups and alienate other groups. These groups are small; the allegiance to any of these groups automatically paralyses the success of a presidential candidate. These interest groups have drawn allies in the mainstream political parties thus dividing the country in lines of opinion and policies. The strong constitutional structure silenced these groups yet the concept of pluralism enhances cooperation while reducing polarization of the country. This maintains freedom, versatility and balance of political power. 4. Conclusion. The systems of election and campaign in the primaries and the caucuses are truly beneficial to ensure transparency. Unfortunately, the tedious nature of this journey can be reviewed by the use of technology and inclusion of pluralism that favors the power balance. The American population should therefore be encouraged to embrace chat room groups and pluralism to motivate the growth of their democracy. Reference Lader, C. (2006). How to prepare for the AP U.S. Government Politics Barronââ¬â¢s How to prepare for the AP US Government and Politics Advanced à à à à à à Placement Examination. Barronââ¬â¢s AP Unites States Government Politics (4th à à à à à à à à ed). New York: Barronââ¬â¢s Educational Series. How to cite All about Interest Groups, Political Parties, and Nominations and Campaigns, Papers
Monday, May 4, 2020
Book-Keeping and Accounting for Entrepreneurial - myassignmenthelp
Question: Discuss about theBook-Keeping and Accounting for Entrepreneurial Finance. Answer: Policy and procedure on Accounts Receivable As mentioned in the question, the company follows a policy of giving discount to debtors for Net 2/7 days, which implies that 2% discount would be awarded to the debtor, in case he/she pays the amount within 7 days of its becoming due. This is one of the policies being followed in many of the companies in order to increase the volume of collection and improve the DSO, i.e., daily sales outstanding. The normal credit period being offered to the debtors by the company is 30 days from the date of invoicing and besides this; the credit is approved only to the approved customers with the credit limit of $2000. If at all, the credit limit needs to be increased for a particular customer, the same needs to be approved by the management. The company also follows a policy of giving the reminders through mails and phone calls to the customers once the normal approved limit of 30 days is crossed and it becomes due for more than 30, 60 and 90 credit days(Baresa, Bogdan Ivanovic 2017). Assuming some rational figures, below is the illustration of factoring: The company may get its accounts receivable factored through an outside agency or it may go as per its own policy. The option available with the company is recourse and non-recourse, non-recourse means the outside agency/factor will bear all the risk of bad debts and in case of recourse factoring, the factor will not bear the risk of the bad debts and the liability will be on the company. Besides this, we have assumed that the factoring commission will be 0.5% of the total receivables of the company but in case of non-recourse, the same would be increased to 3%. To control this entire accounts receivable officer would be put in place that would be paid an administrative cost of $200 monthly. Also, assumed that 40% of the debtors have utilised the benefit, of paying within the limit of 7 days. The last assumption is bad debts in the normal course of the business are 10% of the receivables amount. In the above example, three options have been taken: Option 1: non-recourse factoring Option 2: Recourse factoring Option 3: No factoring From the results, it is clear that the company will best perform in case the non-recourse factoring is opted for based on the assumptions taken. Policy and procedure for accounts receivable The date of the policy will be 20th August 2018. The policy will be authored by the employee and will be approved by the management. The purpose of the policy will be to state the methods of maintenance of the accounts receivable of the company. The main responsibility will be assigned to the sales department and the cashier to manage the overall accounts receivable. The management will provide the required supervision. The human resource team will appoint qualified person for the role, who can manage the accounts effectively(Moraczewski 2017). The main procedures will be: Supply Of Credit It is important that the company must have a sound credit policy, where the customer who are provide credit, must get their accounts verified. There must be specific credit limit depending on the credit worthiness of the customers. Once the credit is allowed, proper checking of the payment must be done and it must be timely tracked. Invoicing Procedures The management of the invoices is an important part of accounts receivable. The business will try to accelerate the sales by issuing the invoices as soon as a transaction is completed. The invoices must contain all the details. There must be proper policies as per which the accounting department should issue the invoices and the sales department should enter the records. Accounting procedures helps in keeping attack of the total sales made, invoices issued and payment received from the customers(Abor 2017). Statements The company needs to maintain certain statements and records with respect to the total number of customers who are given credit. Total number of invoices issued and the total amount that is received and all must be properly recorded and reconciled in the end of the accounting period. Collection From Customers The most important step is the collection of the amount from the customers. In standard business there is a 30 days policy in case the customers pays in advance they can be given discount. Regular reminder should be given to the customers in case the amount is due. Bad debts should be booked in case the customer fails to pay the amount(Muller, Ward Moodley 2017) Bibliography Abor, JA 2017, 'New Venture Development and Sources of Financing', Entrepreneurial Finance for MSMEs , pp. 21-50. Baresa, S, Bogdan, S Ivanovic, Z 2017, 'SPECIFIC FORM OF SHORT-TERM', UTMS Journal of Economics, vol 8, no. 2, pp. 119-129. Moraczewski, E 2017, 'EVALUATE YOUR FUNDING SOURCES', Strategic Finance, vol 98, no. 8, pp. 23-24. Muller, C, Ward, M Moodley, T 2017, 'The relationship between the management of payables and the return to investors', Journal South African Journal of Accounting Research, vol 31, no. 1, pp. 35-43.
Saturday, March 28, 2020
Irony Of What Is To Come Essays - The Story Of An Hour,
Irony of What is to Come In, The Story of an Hour, written by Kate Chopin, there are many hints of irony shown throughout the story which are finally revealed in the end. This short story reveals the allusion, the unexpected joy, and finally the reality of what has really happened to Mr. Mallard. Mrs. Mallard is alluded and given the information that her husband is dead. From this allusion comes the unexpected joy. This unique situation was revealed to Mrs. Mallard, and the unexpected joy of not having anyone to control her is so overwhelming that she starts making plans for the future. When she finally realizes that the information given to her was incorrect, she is forced to face the harsh reality of not having all of her freedom. This topic shows the irony of not knowing the right information, and jumping the gun before this information is confirmed. The allusion that Mrs. Mallard comes to accept as reality is that her husband is dead, but she makes no effort to find out if this information is true With the allusion of Mr. Mallard's death, Mrs. Mallard starts making plans for the future. These are explained in great detail by Stephen R. Shuchter in the Dimensions of Grief Adjusting to the death of a Spouse. The allusion that Mr. Mallard is dead gives Mrs. Mallard an overwhelming sense of freedom, and throws out all rational thinking. When Mrs. Mallard is alluded and given the information that her husband is dead. "It was he who had been in the newspaper office when intelligence of the railroad disaster was received, with Brently Mallard's name leading the list of killed. He had only taken the time to assure himself of its truth by a second telegram, and had hastened to forestall any less careful, less tender friend in bearing the sad message"(Chopin 452). When Richards finds out this disturbing news of his friends death, he only reads the telegram and then goes and tells Mrs. Mallard. This news over her husbands death is quite inaccurate, when in fact he is very much alive but she is misinformed and is brought to think that he is dead . After being oppressed for so long Mrs. Mallard jumps right into making a new life for her self . "While the surviving spouse is learning new tasks and roles, he or she is simultaneously "trying on " new aspects of identity , new self-concept: as future "mother-father," "sole supporter," "boat operator," "single person," " autonomous functioner," "lonely widow," or "incapable and helpless victim"(Shuchter 114). This shows that Mrs. Mallard is living and accepting the fact that her husband is dead and is ready to move on with her life. She makes the transition of being married to being a widow rather quickly without much thought or asking any questions such as, what if he is really alive and not dead, which would be a perfectly natural response to the death of a spouse. "Her f ancy was running riot along those days ahead of her. Spring days, and summer days, and all sorts of days that would be her own" (Chopin 452). This further shows the transition made by Mrs. Mallard or making plans for the future and living in the allusion that her husband is dead. "The anticipation of this future reality allows the surviving spouse to experiment with such self-perceptions and work toward realizing those that make the most sense or are the most desirable. The still-living spouse can also contribute his or her version of the vision and reinforce the more positive views" (Shuchter 114-115). The fact that Mrs. Mallard keeps on living in the future and not facing reality is her biggest downfall. " She saw beyond the bitter moment a long procession of years to come that would belong to her absolutely" (Chopin 452). She is already on the last stage of accepting the death of a spouse. She is only setting herself up to be disappointed, and she will be let down when she sees M r. Mallard in the end. The unique situation which is revealed to Mrs. Mallard that gives her the unexpected joy of not having anyone to control her, this
Saturday, March 7, 2020
Sending an E-mail Without Proofreading is Like Shooting a Gun Without Aiming
Sending an E-mail Without Proofreading is Like Shooting a Gun Without Aiming Sending an E-mail Without Proofreading is Like Shooting a Gun Without Aiming Sending an E-mail Without Proofreading is Like Shooting a Gun Without Aiming By Mary For most professionals, communicating by e-mail is a part of daily life. E-mail is a very convenient way to communicate basic information to one or more people. Even though most professionals feel that e-mail makes their lives easier, there are also a number of complications related to e-mail usage. When you press send on an e-mail message, you have transmitted what amounts to a permanent written record of your thoughts on a particular subject to another person. The other person is free to read your message, delete your message, or forward your message to any number of other people. As any businesspeople who have ever found themselves in trouble over a little thing like a few shredded documents can tell you, having a permanent written record of your words is no laughing matter. Of course, if your words are riddled with grammatical mistakes, misused words, poorly written sentences, and typographical errors your e-mail messages very well may become laughing matters. Your co-workers may be very entertained by evidence that your writing skills leave something to be desired. It is a fact that people form impressions about your level of intelligence based on how you write. If you send e-mail messages that are full of errors to co-workers and clients, they are likely to form a negative impression of you. Make sure to carefully proofread all e-mail messages before you hit send. Keep in mind that you know where you are sending your e-mail, but you donââ¬â¢t know where it might end up. A misfired e-mail message that is full of mistakes can shatter your reputation. Want to improve your English in five minutes a day? Get a subscription and start receiving our writing tips and exercises daily! Keep learning! Browse the Spelling category, check our popular posts, or choose a related post below:10 Grammar Mistakes You Should AvoidExcited ABOUT, not "for" Capitalizing Titles of People and Groups
Wednesday, February 19, 2020
Individual Case for Taxation Study Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 500 words
Individual for Taxation - Case Study Example In joint tax return, there are deductions for itemized and standard deductions from adjusted gross income. Standard deductions are income amounts that non-itemizers subtract from their contributed income basing on the filing status. The examples of such deductions are medical expenses, charitable contributions, home mortgage interest and property taxes. Itemized deductions are deductions from the taxpayerââ¬â¢s gross income for money spent on goods and services throughout the year. The deductions convert taxable income into non-taxable income that one spends on various taxes privileged items. The examples of such itemized deductions are interest paid on investments, casualty and theft losses, hobby expenses and cash contributions to charity and churches. A thorough examination of the items in the joint tax return reveals that the following items will be claimed: firstly, the real estate tax for example registration fees for motor will be claimed to convert the taxable amount to non taxable income. Moreover, interest margin paid on investments of the couple either jointly or separately is claimed (Genders 2013). Additionally, medical expenses for the betterment of couplesââ¬â¢ life shall be accounted for in joint tax return to relieve them. Nevertheless, expenses and charitable contributions that are contributed by the couple will be claimed for deduction in the process of taxation. From the above calculation, 2013 has a better taxable income to the revenue authority because of the less personal exemptions deductions that are deducted from the adjusted gross income. For instance in the scenario in, we have taxable income of $102800 as compared to year 2014 where we have a taxable income of $ 102750. The effect is brought in by a decrease in the personal exemptions by $50. Other issues to be identified are: the age of the couple whether they are above 65 years or less. This helps in determination of the standard
Tuesday, February 4, 2020
Marine Corps O&M Assignment Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 750 words
Marine Corps O&M - Assignment Example In addition, funds are provided to assist landing force training, marine detachments afloat and security forces given the duty to guard the naval and other government activities ashore, Norway prepositioning and maritime prepositioning ships. Some of the shore facilities that get support from this appropriation include; one Marine Corps system command, eleven air installations, one Marine Corps combat development, two expeditionary warfare training groups and one Marine Corps air ground combat. These shore facilities are maintained at high level of standards to ensure that there is effective utilization of resources and avoidance of major replacement costs while at the same time allowing for operations and maintenance of Marine Corps on an effective and economical basis. Furthermore, this Marine Corps appropriation endorses other activities such as second destination transportation of things, special training of personnel, overhaul of equipment and repair, and other expenses that might be incurred. This appropriation uses the Marine Corps supply system that offers Marine units with relevant and proper equipment and material in quantity, time, condition and place required. It is also important to note that this appropriation provides support programs to Marine Corps such as quality of life which includes services such as child care, youth development, and procurement of relatively cheap equipments needed to outfit new military development projects at Marine Corps camps and compensation for injuries incurred while on duty. The Marine operation and maintenance budget request of $ 4,961.4 million shows an increase in budgetary allocation to maintain and sustain the operation of Marine Corps. Budget for operating forces is made up of two tasks, USMC propositioning and Expeditionary Forces. In this case, the expeditionary forces activity
Monday, January 27, 2020
Tesco Plc
Tesco Plc Strategic analysis: a case study of Tesco Plc with reference to Chinese market à · Introduction: This assignment is relating to strategic analysis of Tesco Plc. Main focus is given on global expansion of Tesco in Europe, Asia and U.S. it is difficult to sum up all strategies that has been adopted by Tesco PLC in different parts of the world therefore to be more effective emphasis will be given on strategic analysis of Tesco in China. Furthermore this assignment is focused on the reasons why Tesco has opted to go international. I will analyse certain aspects such as location advantage, to analyse that what was the reason that Tesco has chosen Asian market for it business operation and will include pull factors such as cheap labour, low production cost and increased population, ownership advantage i.e. Toscos reputation, name recognition and goodwill etc and Internalization that how Tesco handles it markets secrets (not to be copied by its competitors) by securing ownership control, as in Chinese market Tesco successfully entered with 51%-49% joint venture with a local company but to secure absolute ownership Tesco increased its shares to 91%. The assignment will also concentrate upon push factors that what were the reason in the UK market that compelled or instigated Tesco to expand its operation to overseas markets. These reasons include UK market saturation, overseas market size, increased economic growth in the home market that enables the company to invest in foreign market and less opportunities of financial growth in the local market because of high competition, exploiting resources etc I will also link different theories with Tesco global strategy i.e. (1) Strategic international expansion (2) Porters five forces (3) Porter diamond model (will be exhibited in appendix) (4) Swot analysis (will be exhibited in appendix) (5) Dunnings electric theory etc It will also analyse the role of Tesco club card loyalty scheme in gathering information from its customers in order to know customers behaviour and need. Furthermore the study also concentrates upon Toscos strategic initiatives i.e. customers focus, act local, maintain focus, use multi formats, developing capacity and build brand etc which is used by the company in its domestic market and overseas. The assignment also contains a COMPARISON OF Tesco with its market rivals i.e. Wal-Mart and Carrefour and their strategic approaches in overseas markets. Similarly the study will also look at Tescos strategy of sourcing to low cost producers and Tescos own brand i.e. Tescos value products etc. à · Company background: Tesco was founded by Jack Cohen in 1919. Since its inception the company has gone through different development stages and Tesco is now one of the UKs largest retailers and is one of the top three retailers in the world. Tesco is operating business activities in three main regions in the world i.e. Europe ( Republic of Ireland, Hungary, Czech Republic, Slovakia, Turkey and Poland) Asia ( China, Japan, Malaysia, South Korea, Thailand and India) and U.S . The company has 3,799 stores located in Europe, Asia and U.S and has employed over 440,000 people around the world.[1] Tesco has adopted different strategies for gaining entry into foreign markets i.e. Acquisition of The Three Guys chain in Ireland in 1979, Acquisition of Catteau in France in 1992, Acquisition of 51 per cent of Global in Hungary in 1994, Acquisition of K-Mart business in Czech Republic/Slovakia in 1994, acquisition of Savia in Poland in 1995, acquisition of ABFs Irish food retailing business in 1997 Acquisition of 75 per cent share of Lotus in Thailand in 1998, Partnership with Samsung (81 per cent) and the acquisition of Homeplus in South Korea in 1999, Acquisition of one Makro store in Taiwan in 2000, Joint venture with Sime Darby Bhd (Tesco share 70 per cent) in Malaysia in 2001, Acquisition of HIT hypermarket from Dohle Gruppe in Poland in 2002, Acquisition of the C Two (C2) in Japan in 2003,[2] Joint Venture in China and wholly owned subsidiary in India. Strategic analysis of Tesco: The main driver of Tescos successful business is because of overseas expansion, moving to higher margin non-food merchandise and maintaining a strong UK core business. Its UK success has been built on low prices, cultivating customer loyalty, offering a range of different store concepts and expanding into retailing services, such as banking and insurance. Tescos focus on non-food items has led some to wonder whether it is fair to compare Tesco with the other grocery retailers at all as it seems to have become a consumer goods company.[3] à · Tesco long-term strategy: Tesco is growing with enormous speed. The company is following its long-term strategy based on five main initiatives, i.e. core UK business, international growth, Non-food, retailing services and community plan are the main objectives of achieving its long term success. Tesco has adopted an effective and constant growth strategy which has enabled the company to strengthen its core UK business and expand into new developed and developing markets around the world. The rationale for the strategy is to develop the scope of the business to enable the company to deliver strong, sustainable long-term growth and competitiveness by following the customer into large expanding markets at home and overseas by serving their needs through selling a wide range of products and services such as food products, financial services, non-food products and telecoms etc.[4] The strategy of diversification and global expansion of Tescos business operation was laid down in 1997 and has been the foundation of Tescos success in recent years. The new businesses which have been established and developed over the last decade are competitive and profitable and have enabled the company to lead largest market outside the UK. à § Core UK business: UK is the biggest market for Tesco and the company aims to provide all its customers with excellent value and choice. The company has developed a range of formats such as Tesco Express convenience stores, Tesco Metro stores, Tesco Super stores and Tesco Extra Hypermarkets.[5] The UK grocery retail market remains the largest source of revenue for Tesco, representing some 50% of last years (2008) à £59.4 billion of sales.[6] à § International growth: Tesco is expanding its presence across the world with main focus on customers need. For the purpose of better understanding of local customers and providing excellent services Tesco employees local staff which helped the company to achieve market leading position in Asia and across Europe. The company is giving more emphasis upon developing a range of local formats i.e. Express stores and Value stores in order to serve the needs of smaller communities. The companys overall performance of overseas businesses was very strong in 2009, particularly against the background of increasingly challenging trading conditions in international markets as the effects of the economic downturn on consumers have grown and spread around the world. [7] à § Non-food: In the beginning Tesco was popular as a food retailer but with the passage of time non-food remains an important part of Tescos strategy and the company continue to grow both sales and market share. Tesco has adopted the policy of differentiation and has now extended its policy to selling non-food items such as clothing, electrical goods, books etc.[8] Similarly Tescos online non-food business, Tesco Direct, continues to grow rapidly, increasing sales by more than 50% in 2009. The company is also planning to introduce an online clothing offer making fashionable, affordable clothes easier to buy for many more customers.[9] à § Retailing Services: Developing Retailing Services has been part of Tescos strategy for over a decade with the aim of bringing value and simplicity to customers through services such as telecoms and financial products. After ten years of success, we have given it a renewed focus and in July we announced that Andrew Higginson would relinquish his role as Group Finance Director to take on the role of Chief Executive of Retailing Services. He has assembled an experienced team to really drive forward this part of the strategy, which we believe has the potential to deliver à £1 billion of annual profit in the next few years.[10] With the rapid changing life style for satisfying customers needs Tesco provides new products and services like online shopping, personal finance and telecoms etc. à § Community plan: Tesco is also playing an active role to be a good neighbour in the communities where the company operates its business activities. We understand the importance of behaving responsibly in all our operations. Over the past year, we have worked even harder to be a good neighbour and have strengthened our contribution to the wider communities we serve.[11] All communities have their own individual concerns and priorities and so each of our countries has its own Community Plan. Whilst the goals and targets are tailored specifically to each country, each plan is underpinned by five core promises: actively supporting local communities; buying and selling our products responsibly; caring for the environment; giving customers healthy choices; and creating good jobs and careers.[12] Tesco believes that its success depends on listening to the customers, and responding to their feedback by giving them what they want. Often the most significant contributions the company can make to communities are at the truly local level and so over the past year the company have appointed over 250 Community Champions in stores and depots across six countries. These members of staff are dedicated to working with local schools, charities and services to support the causes that matter most of its customers.[13] à · Tesco in Europe: à · Tesco in Asia: à · Tesco in U.S: à · Tesco FDI: Foreign Direct Investment plays an important role in global economic growth and development. Due to global economic system competition increased and different governments are making strategies to reduce or remove trade barriers and encourage foreign companies for investment. Multinational companies are trying to enter new emerging economies to gain competitive advantage over their competitors. à · Tesco JV: à · sourcing: To ensure that we offer the best possible prices for customers we buy many products globally so that we benefit from our scale. We have an international sourcing office based in Hong Kong which is responsible for buying 100,000 non-food products for the Group. The international sourcing operation has seen rapid growth in the last few years and now sources 60% of our clothing in the UK and 40% of hardlines, including electricals, homewares, entertainment, toys and books. In Europe it provides over 25% of our hardlines and 85% of our clothing and we have recently started to source products for Asia. In the last year our international sourcing team shipped 72,000 containers from 54 ports.[14] We also have sourcing centres in China, India, Sri Lanka, Bangladesh and Turkey, with smaller offices in Thailand, Czech Republic and Italy. [15] We have invested in buying hubs where we have a critical mass of suppliers and shipment volumes. It helps to be close to our suppliers so that we can ensure great quality products, delivered from ethical sources, on time and at the best price.[16] Where possible we try to source products direct from factories rather than through agents or middlemen. This way we can ensure the lowest possible cost price as well as making sure that our products are sourced safely and fairly. We also manage to strip out more costs by consolidating freight volumes. This gives us the best shipping and transportation rates, which can be passed on to the customer in the form of lower prices.[17] Strategic analysis of Tescos expansion to china: to look at Tescos expansion strategy into Chinese market there are many factors involved. Reasons of Tesco global expansion: Tescos expansion was spatially characterised as being largely regional in nature and less global oriented. Cautiously, Tesco had decided to dominate the smaller central European markets that were unlikely to attract much attention from the large retail multinational peers such as Carrefour and Wal-Mart who preferred to focus on the larger markets. The company incrementally entered markets rather than entering several markets at the same time.[18] Tescos huge growth in this country is a hard act to follow. With the domestic market increasingly saturated, some UK supermarket chains, namely Tesco, Sainsbury (who have now sold their interests in the USA) and MS have looked to overseas markets to maintain their positions. This is a whole new ball game, bringing into play competition with large firms from other countries, such as US retailing giant Wal-Mart and French multinational Carrefour.[19] Main reasons for an organization to expand their business operation to overseas markets include saturated markets, growing economies and improving transportation systems and in some countries business environment seems more attractive than others. Most recently, Tesco has moved into China and the USA, and its rivals i.e. Carrefour has started pulling out of some eastern European countries while focusing on its Chinese strategy and Wal-Mart is also expanding business operation aggressively worldwide.[20] Determinants of foreign market entry modes: The choice of entry mode into a foreign market has a great impact on the success of a firms international operations, so consequently, related theories and critical determinants will be represented in the following section as to understand the relationships between MNEs and different factors. Mode of entry into foreign market: Tesco used a combination of multinational entry mode strategies within one country. As previously discussed, Tesco entered the central and eastern Europe by acquiring a relatively small chain of convenience stores in Hungary, a supermarket business in Poland and a department store chain in the Czech Republic and Slovakia (see Table II). It was certainly unusual for such a large public company to become involved in these operations, and even competitors at the time questioned the logic of their approach. However, the use of ââ¬Å"seed acquisitionsâ⬠with a view to develop knowledge of the market before expanding organically through store-by-store development allowed Tesco to minimise their own human and financial capital in the face of potential economic and political uncertainty.[21] There are a number of strategies that can be adopted by an organization as a mode of entering into foreign market i.e. foreign direct investment, wholly owned subsidiary, joint venture, franchising, licensing and contract manufacturing. Some of these strategies are associated with high risk such and needs high investment and management skills i.e. wholly owned subsidiary and direct acquisition and some of them are exposed to minimal risks from overseas markets i.e. licensing, franchising, contract manufacturing and joint venture. Joint venture is a lowest risk strategy that accompanies greater benefits for the organization such as gaining overseas market knowledge and knowing consumers behaviour from overseas partner, risk sharing and gaining quality management capability.[22] Tesco has opted joint venture in order to gain entry into Chinese market. The company has gained a substantial presence in China in 2004 by signing an agreement of 51%-49% joint venture with a host company Shanghai Hymall Commercial Retail Group which was subsequently increased to 90%-10% in 2007.[23] Market attractiveness: Reasons of global expansion: There are a number of push factors and pull factors that plays an important role in an organizations decision of expanding business operation to foreign markets. The following are the main factors that motivated Tesco to invest in China. Push Factors: Home market saturation: When a business organization decides to enter into a foreign market there are a number of push factors that instigates such organization to invest in foreign market. In the case of Tesco the main factor of its global expansion is home market saturation as there is no room for further expansion because of large number of retailers and high competition. Increased capital gain from home market: Another reason of business expansion to Chinese market could be increased capital and better performance of Tescos business in the UK market which has enabled the company to expand its business to more profitable regions i.e. china. Pull factors: Foreign market attraction: The existence of potentials and financial gains in overseas markets are important pull factors that attract foreign companies to invest in such markets. Chinese market is expanding with enormous speed and it has been predicted that the market will worth $596bn by 2010 which gives an insight to foreign companies i.e. Tesco and its rivals, to exploit the existing potentials in Chinese market.[24] High quality production at low cost: Similarly high quality production at lower cost and the availability of cheap labour is another pull factor that attracts foreign investment. To look at China labour is very cheap and the country is capable of producing high quality products at competitive cost, there for it is very advantageous for Tesco to invest in Chinese market. China is the prime location of sourcing for Tesco products within china and for its business in the rest of the world. Tesco club card loyalty scheme: Tesco is using club card loyalty scheme as a marketing tactics in order to know customers behaviour in purchasing products from Tesco[25] and in return this scheme leads to customers commitment to do business with the organisation, to purchase their goods and services repeatedly, and recommend the services and products to others.[26] Dunnings: To make an effective strategic analysis of Tesco in Chinese market it would be better to take into consideration the Dunnings Electric theory. This theory includes location advantage, ownership advantage and internalization. Motives of International Expansion Many companies expand their business internationally, and compete within the globe market. They know their domestic market better than abroad, and they may face the customs, language, tariff regulations, transport systems and volatile foreign currencies for international operation. This means they will have to face many new challenges, if they decide to enter into a new foreign market, but why do they do so? There are several motives for international expansion (Jobber, 2001). Saturated domestic markets: There are few opportunities for the company to expand in the domestic market with sales and profit pressure. This is one of the major drivers of international expansion. Many of the European supermarket chains were fuelled by the desire to take a proven retailing formula out of their saturated domestic market into overseas market. Small domestic markets: For some industries, survival means broadening scope beyond small national markets to the international arena. Companies cannot compete against with other strong global competitors. Therefore, internationalisation is the fundamental condition for them to survival. Low-growth domestic markets: when economy is in recession at home, companies want to seek new marketing opportunities in more buoyant overseas economies. Customer drivers: Customer expectation is also one of the factors, which affect the companys decision to go international. This is increasingly common in advertising, with clients requiring their agencies to coordinate international campaigns. Competitive forces: when the several companies in the same industry go abroad, this cause others to follow in order to keep the market share and growth rates. This is particular in oligopolistic industries. The attack of the foreign competitor entering into the domestic market is also another factor affecting a companys decision to go abroad. Cost factors: High national labour costs, shortages of skilled workers, and rising energy charges can raise domestic operation costs to uneconomic levels. These factors may stimulate the company to choose foreign direct investment in low costs areas, such as Asia, Central and Eastern Europe. Foreign market expansion can also reduce costs by gaining economies of scale through an enlarged customer base. Portfolio balance: Marketing in different regions provides the opportunity of achieving a portfolio balance, and each region may have different growth rates. By marketing in a selection of countries, the problems of recession in some countries can be balanced by the opportunities in more buoyant economies in other countries. First Buy successful companies abroad, not ones that need turning around:There followed a strong expansion overseas in the 1990s, with ever more significant movement into growing markets such as Hungary and the Czech Republic, Thailand and South Korea. Here Tesco was buying into successful companies, but also ensuring neighboring markets were targeted and that its expansion strategy included eventual market domination. Hence the second lesson for internationalization success: Second It is all about market synergies and market share: Internal strategic processes. One of the chief concerns for retail strategists is market selection. Tesco decided to enter into markets where local competition was soft, hence the initial forays into Eastern Europe and South East Asia, away from the harsh gaze of other expanding giants such as Wal-Mart. Tesco also adapted to opportunistic events, and decided on different entry modes in order to develop knowledge. Hence the next lesson: Third You will never learn anything until you open some kind of store somewhere: External strategic processes. Tesco were comparatively weak internationally compared to bigger, more experienced rivals, despite their increasing dominance in the UK, but it nevertheless decided on an aggressive, organic expansion strategy in its target markets that left some analysts wondering about its long-term prospects. However after sticking with the strategy, it has been paying off, with its vulnerable period seen as a necessity for long-term growth internationally. It also had problems over planning procedures in foreign countries, particularly Ireland, but negotiated with central government for mutual benefit. Also key were Tescos dealing with shareholders, who were initially wary of risking their investment abroad, and there were reports that the City held back expansion within European in the 1990s. However as initial forays such as Catteau became successful, however gradually, soon the debate surrounded the pace of expansion. Tesco initiated a ââ¬Ëââ¬Ë What is apparent from the completed study is that despite concerns from analysts and shareholders about its internalization strategy, and despite negative local press and resources issues, Tesco got it right. public relations exercise to get shareholders more on board with their internationalization strategy, although this was seen through by many, and exerted debatable influence. Internal operation functions. Many international ventures founder on the failure to commit enough human capital to a project, and this constituted Tescos next lesson. Fourth Use strength and size at home to secure the best human resources overseas In order to compete with the likes of Carrefour in their own jardin, Tesco had to make sure it had the very best people on hand to drive its expansion. Experience with financial capital and marketing were also imperative, ensuring that the correct strategies and knowledge was on hand in foreign markets. This is particularly the case in the latter category, where expansion can be seen as an invasion by the home press. While Tesco almost inevitably suffered some bad press initially, the adoption of an intensive PR campaign once business success started to develop overseas highlighted the need for an evolutionary marketing strategy. [27] Factors underlying Tescos success An analysis of the UK online grocery market highlights five factors that have been critical to Tescos success profit model focus; smart mover entry; leveraging ââ¬Å"reachâ⬠, ââ¬Å"richnessâ⬠and ââ¬Å"affiliationâ⬠(Evans and Wurster, 1997); strategic positioning (Mintzberg and Waters, 1985; Hamel, 1997); and brand power. [28] The first ââ¬ËFresh Easy Neighborhood Market opened in Hemet, 75 miles east of Los Angeles on 1st November 2007. As the Financial Times commented: ââ¬ËTescoâ⬠¦has staked its fortunes on an innovative new store that is about a quarter of the size of a traditional US supermarket, building on the success in the UK and Europe of its Tesco Express local stores. Some elements of the Hemet store will be familiar to UK shoppers. But the store also includes a ââ¬Å"kitchen tableâ⬠where a staff member heats up samples of prepared foods such as pizza and chicken curry. In a further innovation, all the check-out registers require customers to scan their own goods with staff on hand to assist (Financial Times, 4 November 2007). à · Conclusion: [1] Tesco Introduction: cited at http://www.cn.tesco.com/en/aboutus/aboutus_history.htm [2] P. Mark (2005), Retail multinational learning: a case study of Tesco, Aston Business School, Aston University, Birmingham, UK, International Journal of Retail Distribution Management Vol. 33 No.1, 2005 pp. 23-48 Emerald Group Publishing Limited [3] Corporate Watch UK, Tesco: a Corporate Profile: Cited http://www.corporatewatch.org.uk/?lid=252 [4] Tesco p Annual Report and Financial Statements 2009 [5] Tesco Introduction: Cited http://www.cn.tesco.com/en/aboutus/aboutus_enterprise.htm [6] Tesco p Annual Report and Financial Statements 2009 [7] Tesco p Annual Report and Financial Statements 2009 [8] Tesco p Annual Report and Financial Statements 2009 [9] Tesco p Annual Report and Financial Statements 2009 [10] Tesco p Annual Report and Financial Statements 2009 [11] Tesco p Annual Report and Financial Statements 2009 [12] Tesco p Annual Report and Financial Statements 2009 [13] Tesco p Annual Report and Financial Statements 2009 [14] Tesco p Annual Report and Financial Statements 2009 [15] Tesco p Annual Report and Financial Statements 2009 [16] Tesco p Annual Report and Financial Statements 2009 [17] Tesco p Annual Report and Financial Statements 2009 [18]International Journal of Retail Distribution Management Vol. 33 No. 1, 2005 pp. 23-48 Emerald Group Publishing Limited 0959-0552, p 30 [19] Corporate Watch UK, Tesco: a Corporate Profile: Cited http://www.corporatewatch.org.uk/?lid=252#world [20] Wal-Mart, Tesco and Carrefour do battle in the East, VOL. 24 NO. 2 2008, pp. 5-7, Emerald Group Publishing Limited, ISSN 0258-0543 [21] International Journal of Retail Distribution Management Vol. 33 No. 1, 2005 pp. 23-48 Emerald Group Publishing Limited 0959-0552, p 31 [22] Wal-Mart, Tesco and Carrefour do battle in the East, VOL. 24 NO. 2 2008, pp. 5-7, Emerald Group Publishing Limited, ISSN 0258-0543 [23] Wal-Mart, Tesco and Carrefour do battle in the East, VOL. 24 NO. 2 2008, pp. 5-7, Emerald Group Publishing Limited, ISSN 0258-0543 [24] Wal-Mart, Tesco and Carrefour do battle in the East, VOL. 24 NO. 2 2008, pp. 5-7, Emerald Group Publishing Limited, ISSN 0258-0543 [25] Tesco American Dream, Doing it differently, Emerald insight, VOL. 24 NO. 2 2008, pp. 11-15, Emerald Group Publishing Limited, ISSN 0258-0543, p 13 [26]T. J. Jason. W. Karen (2006), University of Abertay, Dundee, UK, British Food Journal Vol. 108 No. 11, 2006 pp. 958-964 Emerald Group Publishing Limited 0007-070X (originally cited in (McIlroy and Barnett, 2000, p. 348). [27] The secrets of Tescos expansion success, How the UKs largest supermarket is creeping up on Carrefour and Wal-Mart: DOI 10.1108/02580540510630650 VOL. 21 NO. 11 2005, pp. 5-7, Emerald Group Publishing Limited, ISSN 0258-0543 [28] The UK grocery business: towards a sustainable model for virtual markets Ray Hackney Manchester Metropolitan University, Manchester, UK, and Kevin Grant and Grete Birtwistle Glasgow Caledonian University, Glasgow, UK, International Journal of Retail Distribution Management Vol. 34 No. 4/5, 2006 pp. 354-368, Emerald Group Publishing Limited
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